There have been 50 chief justices of India since the Supreme Court of India superseded the Federal Court of India in 1950. The chief justice of India is the highest-ranking officer of the Indian judiciary and the chief judge of the Supreme Court, in which role the chief justice is responsible for the allocation of cases and appointment of constitutional benches which deal with important matters of law. Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud, the 16th chief justice, is the longest-serving holder of the post, serving for more than seven years from 1978 to 1985, while Kamal Narain Singh, the 22nd chief justice, is the shortest-serving, in office for 17 days in 1991. As of 2024, no woman has served as chief justice. The incumbent and 50th chief justice is Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud (pictured), who assumed office on 9 November 2022. (Full list...)